In a motor vehicle having an open cargo area, i.e. a pickup truck, it is well known to provide a cover to protect the cargo area from weather, and to protect the contents of the cargo area from theft. The cover of the cargo area is known to take the form of a raised cap that generally follows the lines of the cab of the pickup truck. The cap provides the advantage of a higher clearance for larger cargo, but is generally permanently attached to the sidewalls of the cargo area, or is relatively heavy and bulky, precluding easy removal and storage.
The cover is also known to take the form of a tonneau cover that closely conforms to the top of the sidewalls of the cargo area, or bed, of the truck. Tonneau covers can take several forms. The tonneau cover can be formed from a fabric, with the fabric attached to the sidewalls and the front and end walls of the cargo area, with the central area of the tonneau cover supported by flexible ribs spanning the cargo area in a transverse direction. This tonneau cover embodiment has the advantage of being easily removable, and it does not take up much storage room when it is removed from the cargo area. The disadvantage to this type of tonneau cover is that it is easy for unauthorized persons to gain access to the cargo area.
A second type of tonneau cover is a rigid or hard flat shell formed of fiber glass or other composite materials. This second type of tonneau cover is generally attached to the cargo area by hinges positioned at the front end of the cargo area so that the tonneau cover can be raised while loading the cargo area, and then lowered and locked to secure the cargo. Due to the weight of this type of tonneau cover, the system generally also includes a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder mechanism, or other spring biasing means to assist in the opening of the cover. A lock mechanism is generally placed at the rear end of the cargo area to secure the tonneau cover in the closed position. The advantage of this type of tonneau cover over the fabric tonneau cover is that the cargo can be secured against unauthorized access. A further advantage of the hard tonneau cover over the truck cap is that it is generally lighter and requires less storage space when not mounted on the cargo area. However, a disadvantage of the hard tonneau cover over the truck cap is that there is less available cargo room, and a lower clearance, when the tonneau cover is in the closed position. A further disadvantage of the hard tonneau cover according to the prior art is that removal of the tonneau cover generally requires dismounting of the tonneau cover and the hinge assembly from the cargo area, which requires the user to climb into the truck cargo area under the closed tonneau cover to detach the hinges so that the hard tonneau cover can be lifted from the truck cargo area.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to provide a tonneau cover hinge assembly that would enable a user to quickly and easily align the tonneau cover for installation on a truck cargo area, or removal from the cargo area, and that would not require the user to crawl into the truck cargo area in order to secure the tonneau cover once installed and in the closed position.